Alexis Bellino is this season's comeback kid on Real Housewives of Orange County. Who would have thought?! Alexis candidly admitted that last season's drama led her to seek therapeutic help and whatever her therapist is doing (or prescribing) it seems to be working. She needs to be giving that phone number out liberally around the Bravo offices!

In a new interview with Us Weekly, Alexis confirms she did seriously consider leaving last season but felt she needed to set an example for her kids (and earn that OC paycheck!) by returning. Alexis also talks her relationships with the women and reacts to Tamra Barney's embarrassing display of hostessing at the CUT You To The Core Fitness opening!

Oh and guess what?! She made it through the entire interview without mentioning the b-word once. No not, b-i-t-c-h, but bullying! Duh!

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"The rumors of me quitting the show last year were true," Alexis admits. "I think it's apparent that I had a rough year last season. And by the end of the season I was just really down and in a sad place in my life. I thought the best thing for my family and myself was to just get away."

"But then after few weeks I received a phone call that made me sit back and think. They wanted me to reconsider and I realized that the message I wanted to send my children is that 'Just because you're receiving unnecessarily cruel treatment doesn't mean you should quit anything you want to do.'"

"I just wanted to show them that their mom's a fighter – and I'm back stronger than ever," Alexis adds.

As for the drama at Tamra's, Alexis is sorry she didn't avoid the whole thing! "Looking back now… I definitely regret going to Tamra's party. Who wouldn't?! It through me off guard when Vicki [Gunavalson] asked me, didn't think she really meant it, at first thought it was a joke."

"In order for me to go, I insisted that Vicki get the OK from Tamra ahead of time or I'm not gonna go. So when Tamra actually said 'Yes. Tell her to leave the no nonsense at home.' I took that as 'Oh my gosh – she's ready to move forward and what's happened last year is in the past. I've worked through it; I've moved on. Maybe she feels the same way?' Now watching the footage you can see she was still really bitter and angry, and didn't want me there."

Alexis is disappointed Tamra wasn't honest with Vicki and said "I don't want that witch there" instead of pretending she was fine with her attendance. "I went with pure intentions, with the hopes that everyone was ready to move on . . . I just went in open minded, and I got the door shut in my face. Which is okay!"

On Gretchen Rossi and Slade Smiley's engagement: "I'm the type of person who thinks you should just leave other people's relationships to themselves. I'm not going to judge Gretchen and Slade and their relationship. When we were friends we thought they had a cute dynamic. I guess she decided to buy instead of lease," Alexis adds. If you recall Gretchen used to joke that she was "leasing" Slade.

On her friendship with Lydia McLaughlin: "I went into it thinking she was really my friend and I'm hoping that it ends that way. I've definitely seen some things happen on the show the last few episodes, that I'm kinda… like, 'Huh? Is that really acting like a friend?' But you have to watch the whole season play out." The ladies pre-screen the episodes the week before it airs.

On her current relationships with Heather Dubrow, Tamra, and Gretchen: "There's definitely some curve balls coming and I think the audience is gonna be shocked at how the season ends."

I just want to say, like Alexis or not, but her damage control is working! Maybe she really is letting the G-O-D do the work for her because girl is stepping forward without bitterness or malice and letting these harping hussies make themselves look worse and worse!

While Alexis is even saying complimentary things about Gretchen and Tamra, those two are on twitter and in the media like Tweedle Bitch and Tweedle Super Bitch slamming her left and right; starting arguments, and being mighty defensive for two old gals who feel they've done nothing wrong! Maybe they need some of Jesus Lex's magic xanax!

[Photo Credit: TNYF/WENN.com]

TELL US – HAS ALEXIS MOVED ON AND BECOME THE BIGGER PERSON? ARE ALEXIS AND LYDIA GENUINE FRIENDS?